The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to an active pen system for use with an information handling system.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option is an information handling system (IHS). An IHS generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements may vary between different applications, IHSs may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in IHSs allow for IHSs to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, IHSs may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Some IHSs such as, for example, tablet IHSs, phone IHSs, and/or a variety of other IHSs known in the art, include an active pen that allows a user to provide inputs to the IHS by, for example, enabling direct digital “ink” input via the active pen's engagement with a display screen on the IHS to provide the user with a “pen-on-paper” experience with the IHS. Conventional active pens attempt to conserve a power supply of the active pen by deactivating the active pen during periods of non-use (e.g., putting the pen to “sleep”) and only activating the active pen upon initial contact between the active pen and the display screen on the IHS (e.g., via a pressure sensor connected to the pen tip). However, such conventional power conservation methods result in users experiencing an initial delay in display screen response to active pen inputs after a period of non-use of the active pen, as the display screen will not detect and respond to the active pen until that pen is activated by contacting the display screen, and the contact-based activation of the active pen, detection of the active pen by the display screen, and response by the display screen to the active pen takes a significant enough time that the delay is noticeable to the user.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved active pen system.